


lay (not) your heart against him

by theredtailedhawkwithjewelsforeyes



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia is Bad at Communicating, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pre-Relationship, Scenting, none of these tags technically fit except they all fit?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22353907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theredtailedhawkwithjewelsforeyes/pseuds/theredtailedhawkwithjewelsforeyes
Summary: He’s a brave man but the core of it is that he trusts Geralt to save him before anything ever gets too close.It’s-Well.Geralt thinks the last time someone trusted him as far as they could throw him was when he was still a child. Before Kaer Morhen, before anything. His world is a cruel, cutthroat one. He doesn’t know what to do with this unceasing, unspoken dedication. So he doesn’t mention it. Probably Jaskier doesn’t even realize what he’s doing.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 99
Kudos: 1977
Collections: Abby's Witcher Collection, Best Geralt, GERALT AND JASKIER ARE FUCKING GAY





	lay (not) your heart against him

**Author's Note:**

> i had to do video game research for this. video game research. 
> 
> title from song of the white wolf from the witcher ost

Jaskier isn’t afraid of him. That’s a fact of life. 

Geralt is not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, it’s nice to not be constantly assaulted with the sour stink of fear- he gets enough of that when he goes anywhere with people. On the other hand, it shows a lack of self preservation that’s almost admirable. Jaskier isn’t afraid of him- Jaskier has never been afraid of him. Jaskier followed a Witcher out into the wilderness and didn’t think twice.

Idiot bard, except he isn't. Jaskier isn’t stupid. A conclusion unwillingly drawn, but drawn nonetheless. He just isn’t afraid of Geralt. Or most anything, for that matter- even when he should be spooked, should be frightened, should be screaming like any other human in his position, he sticks up his nose a little and shuffles  _ closer _ to Geralt. Who tries to get closer to a Witcher? No one rational. 

Not stupid, but reckless. It’s not Geralt’s business, so he leaves it alone. All he knows is that Jaskier is not, has never been scared of him. Which is… well. 

He supposes it’s nice. He doesn’t like the smell of fear. It’s sour and heavy. Jaskier just smells of the forest and the sweet almond oil he dabbles on his wrists. Light and pleasant and calm, for all that the bard is near constant frenetic energy. 

Another thing: Jaskier always insists on going with Geralt while he’s out hunting monsters. He won’t take no for an answer, and the worst he’s ever smelled is a little spooked. Just the faintest trace of fear-sweat when a werewolf snapped a little too close to his face, for all he’d spent the next hour complaining. He  _ trusts _ Geralt. Intrinsically, it seems. He’s a brave man but the core of it is that he trusts Geralt to save him before anything ever gets too close. 

It’s- 

Well. 

Geralt thinks the last time someone trusted him as far as they could throw him was when he was still a child. Before Kaer Morhen, before anything. His world is a cruel, cutthroat one. He doesn’t know what to do with this unceasing, unspoken dedication. So he doesn’t mention it. Probably Jaskier doesn’t even realize what he’s doing. 

So. Jaskier is with him when he sets out to kill the ghoul. He’s chattering on cheerfully- Geralt tunes him out as usual. It’s background noise. He doesn’t mind it, if he’s honest. 

“Stay,” he says, holding out a hand and dismounting Roach- Jaskier makes some noises about not being a dog, and Geralt hmms absently, but the bard stays and so does his horse, so. Good. He tucks his pouch of potions into his belt, slides his swords into their sheathes. “Should be back soon.” 

He continues on alone. 

A ghoul- a nasty one, by the sounds of it. He’d caution to think it might even be an aghoul or a graveir, and he greases his blade with necrophage oil accordingly. His potions are at his side should he need them. Jaskier and Roach are back where he left them. He checks everything off carefully in his head, stepping near silently into the cemetery. 

It’s a fucking cemetaur. Typical. 

She roars at him, and he just has enough time to pop the cork off one of the little bottles and toss it back before she’s on him. 

The fight is messy. She has had a taste of living flesh, it’s obvious, and she would very much like to take some of Geralt’s. The ground is rough and uneven with gravestones, and he goes sprawling more than once, and then- 

He knocks his head, goes out like a godsdamned candle in a breeze. 

-

He should fucking  _ know better _ is the first thing he thinks when he comes to- it’s been hardly a moment. He can hear her crashing through the trees and he’s after her like a shot. He should know better, he should watch his damn footwork,  _ sloppy- _

She is heading towards Jaskier, which he knows because they always fucking head towards Jaskier. Why does he let him come along? He should’ve just made the bard stay in the damn room. 

Sloppy.  _ Fuck _ . 

He reaches her as she reaches his bard, and he is slashing an arm off when she stretches for Jaskier, and they are twisting around the clearing, spinning, grunting, and he cuts her head off with one heavy swing of his blade. 

A moment taken to breathe. 

The stench of fear is heavy in the air, and he looks automatically around for the source and sees Jaskier, sprawled out on the ground. He’s breathing quickly, eyes closed, shallow breaths and a speeding heartbeat, but Geralt stoops anyway to grab the severed head by its hair. 

He’s halted by a noise- a punched out, small noise that he’s never heard before. 

Jaskier has never been afraid of him. 

The fear-stink is not leaving. Jaskier is not speaking. Geralt runs quick, assessing eyes over him and doesn’t find a scratch. Is it the corpse? He kicks it away and Jaskier flinches. He is pale, his chest still heaving. He’s not talking. This, Geralt realizes suddenly, is what Jaskier looks like when he’s really afraid.

Slowly, he realizes- 

This is what Jaskier looks like when he’s afraid of  _ him _ . 

Jaskier has never been scared of him. 

An inventory. He is bloody but only some of it is his own. His swords are relatively clean and sheathed at his back. And, in the pouch at his belt, there is a potion used. 

The potion. His eyes pitch black, his skin paper white. Teeth sharper than usual. Geralt never looks quite human but- “it’s me,” he says, almost surprised. He is ashamed as soon as he says it and angry for being ashamed, but Jaskier has never been scared of  _ him _ . It is stupid to become complacent in it. It is stupid to hate the way fear makes Jaskier’s blue eyes go too-big in his face. He grits his teeth against it, pushes down everything threatening to bubble up. Jaskier lets out another noise, shakily propping himself up on his elbows. 

“Could you not,” he says, his cheerful tone dampened and a little weak, “give me just a  _ bit _ of a warning before you burst out of the woods looking like  _ that _ ?” 

The smell is fading. Jaskier begins to stand out underneath it. Forest, sweet almond oil. Geralt breathes it in. “It’s me,” he repeats, because- well. He can’t think of anything else to say. Jaskier has never been scared of him. The bard rolls his eyes, gets slowly to his feet. 

“Well, I didn’t know that at the time,” he huffs. “If I had maybe I wouldn’t’ve almost  _ wet _ myself, I- I mean, I could’ve had a heart attack, you know, and then where would we be? Nowhere good, that’s where. How’s your arm, is it bleeding?” Geralt watches Jaskier continue his chattering, albeit a touch weaker than usual, take his arm to examine without flinching. Fading fear-sweat. He reaches out, carefully, to clasp his bard’s shoulder, and Jaskier lifts his head to laugh at him. “What’s  _ that _ for- did you knock your head?” 

Jaskier has never been afraid of  _ him _ . (What a reckless soul, putting his trust into a Witcher. Fear for the cemetaur, fear of the creature moonlight and potion had made Geralt into, but not afraid of him. He has never met anyone comforted by his presence while not on the brink of losing everything.)

Not necessarily brave. He just knows that Geralt will be there. The thought of that sets unexpected warmth blooming in his belly. 

He doesn’t respond, just swings up onto Roach. After a moment, he offers the bard a hand up. Jaskier makes some noises, and Geralt hmms absently, and then he stays. Good. 

-

It is later, when Jaskier is pressed heavily into Geralt’s side- they are in the inn, and he’s already drained his mug of honey-mead and is blinking sleepily- it is later, when Geralt’s eyes are still black and his skin is still death pale and Jaskier still smells of nothing but forest and sweet almond that he allows himself to feel relief. 

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from glitterbouy on tumblr who said: "And I was thinking about how Geralt has never (on screen) gone that Full Witcher thing that was never explained (like in the first scene where his eyes were black and his skin went white) so I was thinking of Geralt going Witcher mode (bonus points if it’s to protect Jaskier) and turns around and Jaskier is actually scared and he realized it breaks his fricken heart bc oh look, he does have feelings after all huh and then subsequent comfort afterwards bc we love good endings in this household" ! its not quiet so angsty but it is, like. i dont know it DID make me cry i hope you like it!!
> 
> A DISCLAIMER is that i wrote this instead of sleeping last night and did Not edit it before i posted so im sorry 
> 
> a CULMINATION. of all the geralt never smells fear on jask things that i have written and seen so gleefully. a culmination that isnt actually going to culminate anything im still gonna keep writing it in 
> 
> again i had to do VIDEO GAME RESEARCH FOR THIS. the only videogame ive ever played is The Hobbit (2003)
> 
> if u liked this please shoot me an ask or a prompt over at redjewelsforeyes.tumblr.com!! 
> 
> ALSO if u liked this please leave a comment they are the sweet dew of a sunflower to me


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